


Last Ferry Home

by TheWritingSquid



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Romantic Fluff, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff, You Better Believe This is Sappy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:35:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22851094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWritingSquid/pseuds/TheWritingSquid
Summary: Nero's demon hunting business has once again brought him away from home on Valentine's Day, but when he surprisingly finishes the task early, he realizes he can catch the last ferry home... if he runs fast enough.
Relationships: Kyrie/Nero (Devil May Cry)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 69





	Last Ferry Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hennatheantenna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hennatheantenna/gifts).



> WOW I actually wrote a non-Gen thing!! Late for Valentine's but that happens when inspiration only comes the week after. This, btw, was inspired by [HennaTheAnthena's gorgeous NeroKiri art](https://twitter.com/hennatheantenna/status/1231333973978157061?s=19) and her imagined story behind it, so the idea is not wholly mine! Go 'aww' at the soft, soft art <3

Heavy boots hit the pavement as Nero sprinted down the cobblestone street, fingers clenched tight around the flowers. The sea glistened ahead of him, water set ablaze by a setting sun, and the distant outline of Fortuna's shore could be spotted if one squinted hard enough--or, in his case, if one had set his gaze on it wistfully often enough. 

_Home._

For all its faults and all the pain it had brought him, Fortuna was home. It meant his small house with tiny bedrooms and a half collapsed courtyard. It meant three orphans running around, screaming and playing and calling out to him. It meant peace from the endless demon hunts and delicious, warm meals. But more than anything, it meant Kyrie's arms and eyes and laugh.

Fuck, he missed her.

He had been gone two whole goddamn weeks, chasing after some eldritch floating squid demons with the worst pain in the ass camouflage Nero had ever dealt with. And this very morning, he'd had to call Kyrie to let her know he wouldn't make it home for Valentine's because one of these things had slipped through his fingers, and he'd been hunting it all night to no result. She had been very understanding--"the lives of innocent people are more important than today"--but the thread of disappointment in her voice had burned through him, stroking his anger. He'd missed last year's too, and it wasn't fair. All he wanted was to do normal-people shit for once and treat the most wonderful person on this accursed earth the way she deserved for once. 

But no. Squid demons instead--and the only girl who’d appreciate bits of that as a Valentine’s gift was Nico.

Nero had hung up the old payphone, slamming it down a little harder than necessary, and his demon sense had tingled--hair on the back of his neck, the feeling of wrongness coursing through his vein. That _asshole_ was right here, and Nero had a _whole lot_ of frustration to pass.

Twenty minutes later he had found the tentacly bullshit, wiped the floor clean with it until it had ashed off, and found himself half a day away from the coast, his job finally done. Nero had looked at the phone--utterly destroyed through the fight. She didn’t expect him, but if he made a run for it…

So he did. 

He’d dashed for the closest train station and hopped in, paced the whole ride and cursed every delay, sprinted to that station’s information desk and, from there, to the flower shop indicated by the lady there. Nero had slapped blood-stained bills on the counter and pleaded for the most beautiful red roses they had left. It’d taken way longer than he’d have wanted and he’d kept glancing at the clock, stomping down on his impatience--he didn’t want the bouquet ruined. The moment he’d had it in hand, however, he was flying out of the door again.

Now the waterfront was _finally_ in sight, and with it the white ferry that had so often carried him home.

And it was leaving the docks without him.

Nero skidded to a stop, his heart sinking as he watched the boat slide away. This couldn’t be happening. He was so close--just a quick sprint away! Why must the whole ass universe be so hell bent on fucking around with him? All he wanted was this one night. Just one Valentine evening with his perfect girlfriend.

And, fuck, he wasn’t gonna just take this bullshit. That ferry was slow as hell, and he? He was _fast_. Nero dashed off again, long legs carrying him down the slope and all the way to the chain-link fence near the docks. He leaped up, one hand grabbing the metal fence as he pulled himself up and above, then landed on the other side. A guard called after him as he sprinted away, boots thumping against wooden planks, every ounce of his strength put into the run. The ferry had cleared the main docks now, was inching its way into the sea proper. It towered over him, the deck’s railing far and a few feet above his head. 

No human could make that jump. But Nero wasn’t all human, and it was about goddamn time his demon powers turned more solution than problem. 

Nero reached the end of the docks without ever slowing down, set his foot against the edge, and leaped up. His wings spread out as he flew upward, and with a quick beat he lifted himself even farther up, somersaulting right above the deck’s railing and landing squarely on his feet. Several passengers stared at him, wide eyed, clinging to one another as if he was about to attack. Nero offered a sheepish grin and waved the bouquet of roses as explanation.

“Didn’t want to miss Valentine’s Day with my girl.”

And he’d made it. Somehow, he’d made it onto the boat in time. Nero spotted the closest bench and flung himself into it, letting the vibration of the boat and the soft splash of water calm his nerves.

###

Kyrie shoved more mint chocolate into her mouth, chomping down on them like she could swallow her frustration as easily as these delicious treats. She’d picked mint because Nero loved the taste, and she’d still hoped--foolishly, perhaps--that he’d be back tonight. After his call this morning, she’d tried to keep herself busy and put the truth out of his mind. She’d cleaned the entire house, prepared meals in advance for the children, then attended the afternoon board meeting for Fortuna’s reconstruction--at which all of her efforts to forget Valentine’s Day had been instantly ruined by other members asking after “her cute demon boy”. Those who liked him had expressed sympathy and gratefulness for all his hard work; those who blamed him along with the Order for the destruction had scoffed and rolled their eyes, implying he was predictably unreliable.

She had come home angrier than she’d left it, spotted the box of chocolate, and gone to town on it, curled up on her sofa. Her _loveseat_ , she added to herself, bitterly. Most of the box was gone, now, along with the sun. She should find herself something to kill the evening with. 

The doorbell rang. She spun about to glare at it, as if she could will this impromptu visitor away. The well of kindness and patience inside of her was just about depleted, and whatever it was, she was certain it could wait. Still. She would feel guilty, if she did not answer.

Kyrie sighed, plastered a smile upon her lips, and opened the door.

An enormous bouquet of roses greeted her, their perfect, gorgeous red set ablaze by the vanishing sun. The shock and beauty of it stunned her--so much that it took several long seconds before she registered who stood behind them, a soft smile on his dirt-scuffed face.

“N-Nero?”

How could he be here? He had said--the demon--all these lives on the line if he didn’t catch it… He moved the bouquet closer to her hands, and she reflexively wrapped her fingers around it, breathless.

“H-hi, Kyrie.”

Pure awe and a thread of sheepishness imbued his words, as if he could not yet believe it. Neither could she, but as Nero reached forward and brushed her cheek, the solid reality of it struck her. He was here. Somehow, Nero had made it to Fortuna in time to spend the evening with her. He had come home, flowers in hand, whispering her name like nothing in this world could be more precious to him.

Joy coursed through Kyrie and she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He caught her with a surprised exclamation and his unique, bark-like laugh, but she gave him no time to answer. Kyrie tilted her head up and Nero lifted her at the same time, knowing without words what she wanted. He kissed her, warm lips against her, strong and steady embracing her, and every little frustration vanished, washed away by his abandon. 

Her mind and soul buzzing with quiet joy, Kyrie never felt Nero fall to his knees, barely heard the thump of him hitting the ground. She only realized his legs had given in when Nero’s passion turned to tenderness and she cracked her eyes open to look at him and trace the curve of his nose and long eyelashes, and marvel at how she had missed every perfect inch of him over the last two weeks. She pulled away long enough to kiss the tip of his nose, then the corner of his lips.

“Welcome home, love.”

Nero’s hand slid into her hair and he pressed his forehead against her, holding her tight. He leaned into the moment, his shoulders rising with every slow breath. When words finally crawled out of him, they came out raw, studded with love.

“I missed you.” He brushed the strands of hair aside and placed a gentle kiss on her temple. “Gosh, but I missed you so much.”

Neither of them moved for a while. They stayed on their porch, clinging to each other’s embrace, breathing in the smell and warmth of the other, the certainty of their love imbued in every instant spent like this, wishing time could pause and stretch this precious instant forever. 

The sun was long gone by the time they headed inside, and Kyrie’s heart sang as she pulled him towards the loveseat and the partly-eaten box of mint chocolates. Against all odds, Nero had made it home for Valentine’s Day, and they had the whole evening ahead of them.


End file.
